Huawei Nova 2i Philippines First Impressions, AnTuTu Benchmark

The Huawei Nova 2i is here and ready to compete in the mid-range smartphone market. Initially debuted in Malaysia, the device features four cameras and a 6-inch FullView display.

Huawei Nova 2i Philippines

When we visited Huawei’s headquarters in China, we were given a unit to test and play with. I’ve been using the phone for a few weeks now, and so far, my initial impressions are positive; More so when I found out how much it cost (more on this later).

Before I give my initial impressions, let’s do a quick unboxing and review of the specs.

Quick Unboxing

The Huawei Nova 2i comes in a tall slender white box with the phone’s name in purple background and the line “Huawei Design” prominently displayed on the sides.

The phone’s retail package includes following accessories – a travel charger, a micro USB cable, a headset, a SIM eject tool, a plastic protective case, and a pre-installed screen protector. Personally, I love that Huawei includes these plastic cases and screen protectors in their retail packages. You get more for your money’s worth and it’s one less thing to worry about.

Sorry. I forgot to include the protective case in the photo.

The Nova 2i has a metal unibody build with a gorgeous matte finish. The finish feels premium, and it’s not slippery to hold. My unit flaunts an Aurora Blue color which I love.

The handset joins the current crop of smartphones that flaunt an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device features a 5.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2160 by 1080, and a pixel density of 407ppi. It boasts an 81.7-percent screen-to-body ratio, resulting in small bezels on the top and bottom, and even smaller ones on the sides.

With dimensions of 156.2 mm by 75.2 mm, the Nova 2i is smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus despite the bigger display. It’s easy to hold, but you’d still need two hands to text.

On the top of the display you’ll find the earpiece flanked by the soft light flash on its left and the dual selfie cameras on its right. It also has Huawei’s branding on the bottom bezel. On the right you’ll find the volume rocker and the power button; and on the left you get the SIM tray with the hybrid SIM/microSD card slot.

The back panel houses the dual rear cameras, an LED flash, and the fingerprint scanner. You’ll also see the antenna lines near the top and bottom. One point of contention is the camera bump. I know that even the iPhone 7 Plus has it, but it would have been better if it’s flushed on the panel. I guess you can’t have it all.

The bottom houses the single speaker, the microUSB port, an audio jack (hooray for this one) and the microphone. On the top you’ll find the secondary microphone. Both offer noise reduction.

Cameras

Besides the display, Huawei Nova 2i’s main feature are the four cameras — two front-facing and two rear-facing — that help blur backgrounds and create stunning portraits and selfies.

The front cameras use a combination of 13MP + 2MP sensors. The 13MP handles image rendering while the 2MP color lens captures the depth of field. It comes with a front firing LED soft light.

The rear cameras boast 16MP + 2MP sensors. Again, the two combine to render depth of field and create the much celebrated bokeh effect. It also comes with autofocus and an LED flash.

Both let you re-adjust the focus and aperture after the shot was taken through the edit menu in the gallery.

Internals and AnTuTu Benchmark

Inside the Nova 2i is an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The phone runs on EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7.0 Nougat. The handset also comes with Bluetooth v4.2 and supports aptX and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). It has a 3,340 mAh battery.

I did a quick benchmark test using AnTuTu and got a score of 60,530 points. It score is

Initial Impressions

So far, they’re all good. I am impressed with phone’s build quality and I especially like the Aurora Blue color. The size is just right despite the large display, and it feels good when it rests in the hand. The free protective case and a pre-installed screen protector are big pluses. The camera bump may be bothersome mainly because it leaves the lens unprotected, but for me it’s not a deal breaker.

Navigating the device is pretty good as well. Everything seems fast and responsive, and animations are generally smooth.

Price and Availability

My initial impressions are all the more sweeter when I found out its price. The Huawei Nova 2i has a retail price of Php14,990. As mid-rangers go, that’s pretty sweet considering what it offers. You get four cameras, a 5.9-inch 18:9 FullView display, and a metal unibody.

It comes in Aurora Blue, Prestige Gold, and Graphite Black. It will be officially available in the Philippines starting October 21, 2017.

Huawei also included a great deal to go with the Nova 2i’s launch. Those who purchases one on the first day of availability will also get a free JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth speaker worth Php6,495.

5 Comments

Bakit yung Aurora Blue which is being used in their ads, ang tagal ilabas? There is also a promo with Huawei Nova 2i which is scheduled to end on November 19, 2017. Paano naman kami na naghihintay ng Aurora Blue which scheduled to be released by November 20, 2017.